English – Page 54 – Canadian CED Network

Although it draws on practices of organizing and solidarity that go way back in history, CED emerged more recently in the U.S. a half century ago as a social innovation primarily to address concentrated, persistent poverty, especially in urban areas.

Today, CCEDNet members do all sorts of amazing things, but the common thread of values motivating action to build on assets and create inclusive economic opportunities can still trace its roots to a goal of helping people escape poverty and live fulfilling lives.

Poverty has been a tough nut to crack, however. Progress was made over the 20^th century, mostly due to public programs, but some groups and regions are still stuck with unacceptably high rates.

Why?

We have a better understanding now that poverty is a complex, multifaceted problem requiring joined-up solutions. In recent decades, faced with the retreat of government services and supports, CED practitioners have had an increasingly uphill battle because so many of the factors related to poverty are systemic problems that must be addressed though public policies. Although CED can do a lot, it can’t solve poverty without favourable macroeconomic and policy environments. As Elwood Hopkins wrote last December in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, both place-based initiatives and place-conscious policy that draws from and informs local work are needed. “By creating opportunities for poor communities through enlightened policy, while simultaneously ensuring that those communities have the infrastructure to connect their residents with those opportunities, we may begin to mitigate the problem of concentrated poverty in our prosperous society.”

The way we define and describe poverty also influences the public (and therefore political) will to act, and whether we think reducing or eradicating poverty is even possible.

So it was this elegant illustration of the connections between essential policies and local action in a framework for economic security that caught my eye when I saw the Insight Centre for CED’s new campaign this summer. The integration of supportive public policy with place-based initiatives in a framework that sets measurable goals reflecting the multi-faceted nature of poverty seems like an important new perspective.

I’m grateful that Paul and the folks at the Tamarack Institute agreed and have partnered with CCEDNet to organize a webinar with Annette Case of the Insight Centre for CED on September 23 so that we can find out more directly.

It should be a very interesting discussion. Please join us.

mike_small.jpg

Michael Toye is the Executive Director of the Canadian CED Network, having worked in various other capacities with CCEDNet since 2000. Michael has also taught courses on CED and social enterprise at Concordia University and has written a number of articles and other publications on CED and the social economy, including co-editing the book, Community Economic Development: Building for Social Change.

Read Michael’s blogs

Follow Michael on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Visit our Action for Community Economies page for resources and recommendations on how community investment and spending can be strengthened to promote inclusive and sustainable local economies.

Let’s put action for community economies on the agenda of all election candidates this fall.

Take Action

Sneak Peek: This Year’s THEME and KEYNOTE!

October 23rd

Beginning at 8am
Garden City Collegiate

Visit the Gathering webpage

The 2015 Gathering will take place Friday October 23rd at Garden City Collegiate, and the theme for the day is “Connecting the Dots” – encouraging people to see the connections between various social challenges and solutions to deepen their understanding of community renewal and social justice.

We have just confirmed one of our keynote speakers!

Please welcome Clayton Thomas-Muller:

Clayton Thomas-Muller

Clayton Thomas-Muller is a member of the Treaty #6 based Mathias Colomb Cree Nation also known as Pukatawagan located in in Northern Manitoba, Canada. Based in the Canadian capital city of Ottawa, Clayton is an organizer with 350.org, the Co-Director of the Indigenous Tar Sands Campaign of the Polaris Institute and a founder and organizer with Defenders of the Land. Clayton is involved in many initiatives to support the building of an inclusive movement globally for energy and climate justice. He serves on the boards of Black Mesa Water Coalition, the Global Justice Ecology Project and the Bioneers. He is also a steering committee member of the Tar Sands Solutions Network.

Clayton has been recognized by Utne Magazine as one of the top 30 under 30 activists in the United States and as a “Climate Hero 2009” by Yes Magazine. For the last twelve years he has campaigned across Canada, Alaska and the lower 48 states organizing in hundreds of First Nations, Alaska Native and Native American communities in support of grassroots Indigenous Peoples to defend against the encroachment of the fossil fuel industry. This has included a special focus on the sprawling infrastructure of pipelines, refineries and extraction associated with the Canadian tar sands. Clayton is an organizer, facilitator, public speaker and writer on environmental and economic justice.

Visit the Gathering page on the CCEDNet website for updates and information on previous Gatherings, including a video of last year’s keynote. Tweet us at #gath2015.

Registration opens September 14th!

For more information, contact Molly Dunbar at gathering at ccednet-rcdec.ca

The Gathering is an annual pay-what-you-can event designed to provide professional development and networking opportunities for staff of community organizations, civil servants, representatives of funding organizations, active community members, students, academics and anyone interested in community development and community economic development.

Hosted by the Canadian CED Network – Manitoba and planned collectively by over 15 organizations.

Event Partner: Celebrating Sponsor:

Thank you to all our other event sponsors and partners

ABOUT THE CANADIAN CED NETWORK

CCEDNet is a national member-led organization committed to strengthening Canadian communities by creating better economic opportunities and enhancing environmental and social conditions.

The Village of Cumberland has passed a motion to implement social impact purchasing, making the Village the first municipality in British Columbia to proactively leverage existing spending to improve social outcomes in the community.

“Council is aware of the positive impact we can make through our purchasing practices,” said Mayor Leslie Baird. “That’s why we included social procurement purchasing as a strategic priority for the municipality, and why we’ve approved the Social Procurement Framework.”

Passing the Social Procurement Framework

By passing the Social Procurement Framework the Village of Cumberland is working to build a stronger local economy, to increase diversity among government suppliers, and to improve access for micro, small business and social enterprises to government contracts.

“Council spends $5 million annually,” said Councillor Jesse Ketler, who will be representing the Village at a presentation on social procurement during the annual Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Conference in September. “We want to maximize returns for taxpayers by better aligning this spending with community values and strategic priorities.”

Moving the Social Procurement Strategy Forward

To help move forward the social procurement strategy the Village engaged the help of Comox Valley resident Sandra Hamilton, a Canadian expert in social procurement who works with municipalities to strategically align purchasing with local objectives, all while working within the confines of trade agreements.

Hamilton, the former business manager to Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics CEO John Furlong, has seen first-hand how social procurement can have a positive effect on a community.

“The floral contract for the 2010 Olympic Games included something called a Community Benefit Clause,” said Hamilton. “The winning bid, would not only offer a competitive price and supplier capability, but would also commit to train women from the downtown eastside as florists. It was a pivotal moment for me, I realised procurement had the power to change lives.”

Journey Set in Motion

This set in motion a journey that has resulted in a number of Canadian firsts for Hamilton. She became the catalyst for creating Canada’s first Social MBA degree program; she is the first person to secure the supply of farm direct, local food into a B.C. Hospital, and now her work with Cumberland has helped lead to the design and implementation of the first municipal Social Procurement Framework in B.C.

“Sustainability is about doing the right thing. How we buy and how we invest, drives the economy, which shapes our communities,” said Hamilton. “In Canada, government spending accounts for 40 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). On Vancouver Island public sector spending, in the form of health care and social services, represent the second and third largest economic drivers respectively. Small businesses and social enterprise growth in our smaller communities will be driven by improving access to taxpayer funded contracts. It’s good to see the Village of Cumberland stepping forward and taking the lead in this important issue.”

At this year’s UBCM, Hamilton along with representatives from the Village of Cumberland and City of Vancouver will speak on the topic of Social Procurement and Economic Development at 7:30am on September 24th, 2015.

Those unable to attend UBCM, can learn more about social procurement, by attending the Localizing Prosperity event hosted by WeAreYQQ and the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce, on September 28th and 29th, 2015.

Download the Full Document Release

The world appears to be wrapped in a web of diplomatic deception and intrigue, while our communities are cloaked in a clutter of jargon and empty phrases.

In the midst of one of the world’s greatest transitions, it is perhaps time to revisit basics. Military interventions have never worked and diplomacy, as it is practiced today, is about one-upmanship and distortion rather than beneficial compromise. There is a need for intervention that engages people.

Perhaps it is time for a simplistic solution, as a means to bring people together. This solution is at work in many places of the world today, either ignored, dismissed or not exciting enough for media coverage.

One can witness it among the refugees of wars and tragic natural disasters. Normal ordinary people lend a hand, mostly without thought of who they are helping; much less their culture, politics or religion. There are exceptions, but these are mostly driven by misguided people who are biased, prejudiced and intolerant.

The concept of people coming together has been around since humankind inhabited the world. The process has evolved over time. Community, an English term is derived from both Latin and French words and over the past 100 years became prominent to describe the shared space, relationships and culture where people live.

The term community development has been attached to the engagement processes in which people developed their own solutions to often stressful social and economic issues during times of transition and change.

It was prominent in many places during the great depression. The most notable effort in Canada was the Antigonish Movement led by two Priests from a base at the Extension Department of St, Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.

A lesser known, but similar initiative emerged from the Extension Department of the University of Saskatchewan, this process subsequently became known as Community Development.

In the late 1950s Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador followed the example of the Antigonish Movement and other universities with the creation of an Extension Service. The main focus of this University initiative was community development focusing on the modernity of rural life to enhance the transition of from an underdeveloped dominion to a province of Canada.

During the 1970s and 80s, as a means to address economic transitions and imminent social changes community development had a resurgence from governments. The Canadian government introduced models of programs, organizations and projects from other countries, especially the United Kingdom as a means to facilitate this process.

This was also the era when E.F. Schumacher penned his book “Small Is Beautiful: A Study of economics as if people mattered” in which he defined the necessities of a sustainable process of economic development through small scale initiatives. It is still considered a classic by many community development advocates.

Organizations promoting community and economic development, took prominence during this cycle as governments provided support to organize and manage local processes and initiatives. This process and the organizations that emerged latterly became known as Community Economic Development (CED).

The influence of government and the focus on economy became evident in the language used by all and sundry in the development process. As a result business and government languages and their predominant focus on acronyms and jargon took root.

This was at beginning of a technological revolution, with its own abbreviated language, which has enveloped the world providing communications and means to bring people together, unlike any time in human history. Approaches to bringing together people to engage in discussions changed significantly through the use of technology.

This community development process and its methodology can and has been utilized for nefarious reasons as well.

It has been adapted by many radical and fanatical organizations, who use similar mobilizing techniques accompanied by communications media and simple, yet complex even gruesome messaging as means to engage, influence and recruit; and to create fear.

A similar adaptation is evident in political campaigning where engagement techniques, technology and twisted messaging create complexities that create discord, fear and despair.

Many community organizations themselves have taken this simple process and cloaked it in a complex web of acronyms, jargon, and methodologies that often confuse. These complexities often result in an encumbered and diminished process of building community connectivity.

Community development advocates of other times used a clear and simple message that people are able to think and act for themselves. It is why this process was always on the margins; battling mainstream communications and programs designed to control people.

The basic practice of community development and its simple methodology of people coming together talk and agree how best to utilize their own powers has been cloaked in a mixed message of intricacy. The language used has created an impression of complexity and sophistication suggesting that community development requires skilled professionals and complex educational tools in order to be effective.

It is time to revisit history to appreciate the foundations of the community development processes that have worked in other times of major transitions.

Community development as practice was effective because a fundamental belief in people and their abilities and capabilities to do what they need to do for themselves had meaning.

Those involved recognized a number of basic elements evident in the process including: common values, a continuous progression of actions founded in education, freedom as responsibility and sustainability through inter-generational sharing. They realized that the practice is anchored in people’s engagement and participation, tied to a simple process of dialog and discussion and rooted in achieving cooperation and tolerance.

The tools required to participate and activate community initiative were human in nature, albeit technical and communications tools have extended everyone’s capabilities. Included in a community toolkit were the human tools of patience and tenacity, understanding and respect, humility and kindness and honesty and fairness.

With these tools other generation managed to salvage most of their communities from dying, provide learning opportunities for all ages and to seek out opportunity for many. Most importantly in times of such stress, people came to better understand each other and were filled with human compassion founded on kindness and sharing.

Communities through this process built new societal foundations, dynamic institutions and inclusive approaches to governance. Most importantly, relationships were strengthened resulting in renewed human compassion, all founded on a belief that people themselves could solve seemingly insoluble problems with their own knowledge and capabilities.

William (Bill) Pardy is a longtime CED practitioner who splits his time between Corner Brook, Newfoundland, and international assignments. Read more of his articles and contact him at www.wwpardy.com

Other detailed papers on community development by Bill:
– Community Development Out from the Margins
– The Complexities of Engaging Communities
– Building the Foundations of Community

The President of the Chantier de l’économie sociale’s Board of Directors, Mr. Patrick Duguay, is happy to announce the nomination of Mr. Jean-Martin Aussant as the organization’s new Executive Director. Established in the wake of the 1996 Summit on the economy and employment, the Chantier has been led since its beginnings by Ms. Nancy Neamtan. However, she is not leaving the organization that she has contributed to establish. She will henceforth serve as strategic counsel.

As Mr. Duguay emphasized, “This nomination marks a new step in the history of the Chantier de l’économie sociale, which, since its inception, has been punctuated by great accomplishments in favour of a more humane economy that serves communities. Since she was at the forefront of these accomplishments, Nancy Neamtan’s change in roles within the organization was a serious challenge that the Board of Directors has met; and that translates today into this nomination. The Chantier is a strong organization with a rich history; and the favourable prospects for the development of the social economy meant that Ms. Neamtan’s successor needed to be able to bring a solid expertise and the leadership necessary to continue the work. It is thus with pleasure and pride that we announce today the nomination of Jean-Martin Aussant, who, without a doubt, constitutes a major asset for the social economy movement. Assisted by a dynamic team that will include Nancy Neamtan as a strategic counselor, Jean-Martin Aussant represents a strong succession for an organization which has large ambitions.

Present at the press conference, Mr. Claude Béland, President of the Mouvement Desjardins from 1987 to 2000, reflected on the road that has been traveled over more than twenty years: “Today, because of this exceptional work, the social economy is an alternative to the dominant economic system that does not respond to the population’s needs anymore.”

Ms. Geneviève Dubois, Director of the Pôle d’économie sociale in the Mauricie region who is also a member of the Chantier’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee, also spoke during the press conference. Bearing witness to the integration of collective entrepreneurship in all regions of Québec and of the social economy regional poles’ major role, Ms. Dubois strongly asserted the fact that in many regions, “social economy enterprises are becoming the socio-economic motor of municipalities.”

Considering past results and future challenges, the outgoing Executive Director, Nancy Neamtan, was delighted to have been able to give the Chantier the opportunity to prepare its succession in a context where the social economy is in effervescence: “Even if this citizens movement at the heart of the economy has taken more and more space in Québec, it is far from having reached its full potential and it is no doubt the following, and even the next few generations, that will need to finish the work that we have started a few decades ago.”

Finally, Jean-Martin Aussant wanted to thank the members of the Chantier’s Board of Directors for their confidence and took the opportunity to emphasize his commitment: “I am proud to join the Chantier’s wonderful team and to contribute the expertise I have acquired during my career in the financial sector. Collective entrepreneurship is one of the three essential pillars of a balanced economy, beside private and government sectors, and the Chantier plays an essential role. This involvement is consistent with my values, among which is the promotion of more humane economic development which, although profitable, places the well-being of populations before the search for profit.”

About the Chantier de l’économie sociale

The Chantier de l’économie sociale is a non partisan autonomous organization that has as main mandates the promotion and development of the social economy in Québec. A non-profit corporation, the Chantier regroups social economy enterprise promoters (cooperatives and non-profits) working in numerous fields (environment, proximity services, communications, leisure, housing, natural resources, childhood-family, training, funding, culture, etc.), representatives of important social movements and local development stakeholders in rural and urban areas.

The Québec Social Economy in Brief

Québec has about 7,000 social economy enterprises. They supply jobs to more than 150,000 persons, which represents almost 4% of total Québec employment. The number of jobs in social economy enterprises is comparable to the level of employment observed in sectors such as wholesale or business services.

Source: Chantier de l’économie sociale

Public Safety Canada is seeking proposals for developing a strategic plan and proof-of-concept pilot projects for testing the use of social finance mechanisms in the domain of crime prevention.

The purpose of the work is to obtain professional services from social finance experts for the following objectives:

Phase 1 – Develop a strategic plan regarding social finance as it relates to crime prevention that identifies what conditions are required to lead to the development of pilot project(s) and a framework required to get pilot project(s) ready for implementation; and

Phase 2 – As required, provide project management for testing of pilot project(s).

This requirement will be handled in a Two-Phase Approach. Each Phase is identified in the statement of work. At the end of the first Phase, PS will decide whether or not to proceed to the next phase. The second phase will be managed through task authorizations.

Download the Proposal Form

Phase 1 – Strategic Plan

An updated project plan
A progress report with outline of the strategic plan paper
A Draft Report of the strategic plan as per Article 4.1.
A Final Strategic Plan Report.
Prepare and deliver PowerPoint presentation that synthesizes the Strategic Plan Report to PS Senior Management.

Phase 2 – Development and Implementation of Potential Pilot(s)

In the event that a written authorization from the Contracting Authority is issued to the Contractor to perform the services of Phase 2, the Contractor maybe required but is not limited to provide the following deliverables. All work will be specified in an authorized task authorization.

A work plan.
Development and implementation plan(s).
Weekly status reports.
Terms and conditions of pilot projects
Project charter documents for signature for all stakeholders
Specific reports regarding the experimental design, performance measures and evaluation framework for the pilot project(s).
Summary reports including lessons learned for pilot project(s)

Deadline: September 23

SOURCE: Buyandsell.gc.ca (for more information)

The pre-election debate on improving the Canada Pension Plan is important and overdue. Despite the Harper government’s reluctance, there is a broad consensus that, as a national newspaper said recently, “raising mandatory CPP contribution rates and boosting future payouts are the most prudent, most effective and least costly fix.”

But that’s not enough. While necessary, even an expanded CPP will not be sufficient to fully support the retirement of workers who don’t also have well-funded workplace pension plans. This is especially true for employees of non-profits and charities — excluding hospitals, colleges and universities — who typically work for modest salaries and almost never have good pension plans and sometimes not even individual RRSPs.

There are 1.3 million such workers across Canada. They perform some of our communities’ most important tasks through programs that provide food security, affordable housing, women’s shelters, newcomer integration, youth employment and much more. Not only do the organizations that employ them need to ensure viable retirements for their older employees, these groups also must attract young recruits who have the talent and drive to meet the evolving challenges of a complex world.

Quebec may have an answer for the rest of Canada. The Régime de retraite des groupes communautaires et de femmes — the retirement plan for community and women’s organizations — serves 4,800 non-profit workers in some 550 mostly small community groups across Quebec. The average age of plan members is 43, their average base wage is $33,500, and, even more notably, 86 per cent of all members are women.

Since 2008, these members have built a pension fund of $32 million in assets that are invested by the insurance arm of the Desjardins group, often through ethically screened securities. Sustainability is a priority for this pension plan. A significant reserve is in place to absorb shocks and stabilize contributions. The reserve also enables the plan to index pensions to the cost of living. With a current funding ratio of about 170 per cent of capital assets to pension obligations, the plan offers real security to its members.

The Régime is a member-funded, multi-employer plan. When a non-profit organization decides to join, the levels of its contributions are adapted to its resources and approved by its board. The employer’s contribution to the plan must match that of its employees. This contribution may be raised or lowered over time to take into account a group’s evolving financial situation. The Régime is not a replacement for, but rather a complement to, the Quebec Pension Plan, the CPP analogue in that province.

Michel Lizée, former co-ordinator of an outreach centre at the University of Quebec at Montreal, and who 10 years ago began working with the reference group of community-sector leaders that set up the plan, made two important points about the plan at a recent conference at Carleton University. First, he said, an educational process is necessary for non-profit leaders and employees to demystify the technical issues associated with pensions, to learn about the relevant laws and regulations, and to assume governance of the plan they are creating.

Second, observed Mr. Lizée, this made-in-Quebec model may offer useful lessons for English-speaking Canada. “The existing legislation on multi-employer plans in several provinces could provide a suitable framework for a similar plan.” That is, he adds, “if the hurdle that the community sector is not typically unionized can be overcome,” since these laws have usually been drafted for unionized workplaces.

The umbrella group for the non-profit sector, Imagine Canada, could and should investigate the application of this model to other parts of the country. A consortium of non-profits and charities, universities and colleges, governments and trade unions, should be organized to carry out research and education and design pension plans that fit the needs and conditions of the community sector in individual provinces.

Non-profit organizations are regulated for labour standards, collective bargaining and employer pension plans by provincial governments. In a subsequent email, Mr. Lizée made the case that it is possible to set up multi-provincial pension plans for non-profit workers by registering each plan in the province where most of the plan members work. The legislation of that province will dictate the governance, funding and investment rules for the plan.

What could the federal government do to enable the development of pension plans for non-profit workers? For one thing, the Minister responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency must grant an exemption, under the Income Tax Act, to member-funded pension plans in non-unionized work places. The Régime lobbied hard to get that exemption, which now stands as a precedent for other non-profit plans.

For another, the Government of Canada could also provide seed money for the consultations and legal work necessary to assess and revise existing laws on multi-employer pension plans in several provinces in order to allow the participation of non-profits and charities. Experienced actuarial and legal advisers would be essential in this exercise.

But, at the end of the day, argued Michel Lizée: “The best thing the federal government could do for employees of the non-profit sector is stop blocking improvements to the CPP and work with the provinces to improve it. Raising the salary replacement rate of the CPP to 50 per cent, or 40 per cent, would reduce the gap between what the public plans provide at retirement and what would be really needed to maintain a good standard of living.”

And, he said: “That would make it easier to set up multi-employer plans for non-profits, which would be able make more modest and feasible contributions to achieve this goal.”

As Canada navigates forward in a turbulent world, we need the best talent we can get in our community organizations. Addressing the pension challenge for this important group of workers is a priority — and, it turns out, very possible.

Originally published in the Huffington Post blog on June 16th, 2015 by Edward Jackson

Edward Jackson, a member of the Canadian CED Network, is President of Jackson and Associates and a thought-leader and practitioner in program evaluation, engaged philanthropy, social finance, social enterprise, gender equality, and higher education. He has advised Canada’s Department for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Danida, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, MasterCard Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, World Bank and foundations, development agencies, governments and non-governmental organizations in over 50 countries around the world. An adjunct professor and former associate dean at Carleton University, Dr. Jackson is the recipient of numerous awards for his consulting, research and teaching.

Le président du conseil d’administration du Chantier de l’économie sociale, monsieur Patrick Duguay, est heureux d’annoncer la nomination de Jean-Martin Aussant au poste de directeur général de l’organisation. Fondé dans la foulée du Sommet sur l’économie et l’emploi de 1996, le Chantier était dirigé depuis ses débuts par madame Nancy Neamtan. Cette dernière ne quitte toutefois pas l’organisation qu’elle a contribué à mettre sur pied. Elle y occupera désormais le poste de conseillère stratégique.

Comme le souligne monsieur Duguay, « cette nomination marque une nouvelle étape de l’histoire du Chantier de l’économie sociale qui, depuis ses premières heures, a été ponctuée par de grandes réalisations en faveur d’une économie plus humaine au service des collectivités. Puisqu’elle fut au premier rang de ces réalisations, le changement de rôle de Nancy Neamtan au sein de l’organisation posait un défi de taille que le conseil d’administration a su relever et qui se traduit, aujourd’hui, par cette nomination. Le Chantier est une organisation forte ayant une histoire riche et l’horizon favorable au développement de l’économie sociale nécessitait de trouver un successeur à madame Neamtan qui puisse apporter une solide expertise et le leadership nécessaire pour poursuivre le travail. C’est donc avec plaisir et fierté que nous annonçons aujourd’hui la nomination de Jean-Martin Aussant qui, sans aucun doute, constitue un acquis majeur pour le mouvement de l’économie sociale. Épaulé par une équipe dynamique, qui comptera notamment Nancy Neamtan à titre de conseillère stratégique, Jean-Martin Aussant représente une relève forte pour une organisation dont les ambitions sont très grandes ».

Présent à la conférence de presse, monsieur Claude Béland, président du Mouvement Desjardins de 1987 à 2000, a d’ailleurs profité de l’occasion pour insister sur le chemin parcouru depuis plus de vingt ans : « Aujourd’hui, grâce à ce travail exceptionnel, l’économie sociale est une alternative au système économique dominant qui ne répond plus aux besoins des populations ».

Madame Geneviève Dubois, directrice du Pôle d’économie sociale Mauricie et membre du conseil d’administration et du comité exécutif du Chantier, a également pris la parole lors de la conférence de presse. Témoignant de l’ancrage de l’entrepreneuriat collectif dans toutes les régions du Québec et du rôle majeur des pôles régionaux d’économie sociale, madame Dubois a fait valoir avec force le fait que dans bien des régions « les entreprises d’économie sociale deviennent le moteur socio-économique des municipalités ».

Considérant les résultats passés et les défis à venir, la directrice générale sortante, Nancy Neamtan, s’est réjouie d’avoir pu donner au Chantier l’occasion de bien préparer sa relève dans un contexte où l’économie sociale est en effervescence : « même si ce mouvement citoyen au cœur de l’économie a pris de plus en plus de place au Québec, il est très loin d’avoir réalisé son plein potentiel et il n’y a pas de doute que c’est la prochaine, et même les prochaines générations, qui auront à compléter le travail que nous avons entrepris il y a quelques décennies. »

Finalement, Jean-Martin Aussant a tenu à remercier les membres du conseil d’administration du Chantier pour leur confiance et a saisi l’occasion pour souligner le sens de son engagement : « Je suis fier de me joindre à la formidable équipe du Chantier et de mettre à contribution l’expérience acquise au cours de ma carrière dans le milieu financier. L’entrepreneuriat collectif est l’un des trois piliers essentiels d’une économie équilibrée, avec les secteurs privé et gouvernemental, et le Chantier y joue un rôle de premier plan. Cette implication rejoint aussi intimement mes valeurs, à savoir la promotion d’un développement économique humain qui, bien que rentable, place le bien-être des populations avant la recherche du profit. »

À propos du Chantier de l’économie sociale

Le Chantier de l’économie sociale est une organisation autonome et non partisane qui a pour principaux mandats la promotion et le développement de l’économie sociale au Québec. Corporation à but non lucratif, le Chantier réunit des promoteurs d’entreprises d’économie sociale (coopératives et organismes sans but lucratif) œuvrant dans de multiples secteurs d’activités (environnement, services de proximité, communications, loisir, habitation, ressources naturelles, enfance-famille, formation, financement, culture, etc.), des représentants des grands mouvements sociaux et des acteurs du développement local en milieux rural et urbain.

L’économie sociale au Québec en bref

Le Québec compte environ 7 000 entreprises d’économie sociale. Celles-ci procurent un emploi à plus de 150 000 personnes, ce qui représente près de 4 % de l’emploi total au Québec. Le nombre d’emplois au sein des entreprises d’économie sociale est comparable au niveau d’emploi observé dans des secteurs comme le commerce de gros ou les services aux entreprises.

Source : Chantier de l’économie sociale

Community Economic Development is a way of thinking about the world and your place in it that infuses all aspects of life. At its root, CED is the recognition that healthy communities, resilient economies and ecological sustainability are connected. It is the understanding that effective solutions are rooted in local knowledge and led by community members.

Simon Fraser University’s Community Economic Development Certificate builds such local knowledge and leadership by teaching students CED principles, practices and methods that work. In 2014, the certificate program was offered in Calgary for the first time through a partnership between SFU and Thrive—Calgary’s CED Network.

Twenty-three participants, including three Momentum staff members, completed the program. With theoretical study, hands-on experience and the support of a strong community of practice, they learned how to shape, nurture, implement and promote a CED dream-come-true.

One result? The launch of the first-ever Calgary Tool Library.

Shared and local ownership

The Tool Library—a social enterprise project of the Bridgeland Riverside Community Association—was launched in June 2014. The 300-plus individual and organizational members are co-owners of hundreds of tools. The sense of ownership and accountability are palpable, very different from conventional tool rentals.

Reduced environmental impact

No longer must you (or your neighbour!) buy, store and repair every tool you’ll ever need. Members of the Tool Library have access to 500 of the most in-demand household tools. Whether for standard home maintenance, basic car repairs or gardening projects, you’re likely to find the tool you need.

Increased social sustainability

The Library has become a community gathering space: neighbours deepen their bonds, strangers get to know each other. It’s a collaboration that brings together businesses, charitable foundations, and individual members and volunteers. The whole community benefits and contributes to its success.

Affordable, accessible, inclusive

There are fees for membership but the Library wants everyone to be able to access tools, regardless of income level, so fees are waived if need be. Everyone is welcome, whether a tool expert or a novice. Librarians and fellow members are happy to help you figure out what you need and how to use it.

See for yourself!

Visit the Tool Library online at www.calgarytoollibrary.org, or drop by the tool shed in the lower level of the Bridgeland Riverside Community Association at 917 Centre Avenue NE.

“What is most exciting about CED is finding that all kinds of people care about community. They don’t have anything to prove. They just want to make things better.”

Originally published in the Momentum blog on June 5th, 2015

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Amanda McKellar is currently Marketing & Communications Coordinator at Momentum in Calgary. Amanda is a communications expert with experience in writing for a variety of audiences having worked for 8 years as a self-employed content writer/editor. For other articles by Amanda McKellar, visit https://momentum.org/author/amanda/

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The Canadian CED Network’s Policy Council has submitted a response to the federal government’s invitation for pre-budget submissions for the 2016 Federal Budget. The submission, sent to the Standing Committee on Finance, focuses on social procurement policy and training on social enterprise and co-operative for government staff.

The Recommendations for the 2016 Federal Budget are to:

Build on the experience of the CED sector in performance-based contracts by documenting and adopting most effective practices and enhancing the investment readiness of community groups.
Provide funding for the replication of successful community economic development investment initiatives across the country.
Implement social value weighting in all RFPs and contracts.
Provide social enterprises, non-profits, and co‐operatives access to existing regulatory and tax measures and business development programs available to small- and medium-enterprises. This should be coupled with awareness-‐raising efforts for government officials to ensure a level playing field for alternative forms of incorporation.
Implement a CED policy framework, inclusive of CED principles and a CED lens.

Read the full pre-budget submission

Postscript: Due to the dissolution of Parliament on August 2nd, 2015 for the election this fall, the Standing Committee on Finance is no longer accepting briefs in relation to Pre-Budget Consultations.